Novel tumor-specific surface antigen (TSA)

The term "Novel tumor-specific surface antigen" refers to a broad category of proteins or molecules expressed exclusively on the plasma membrane of malignant cells and not on healthy tissues. These antigens are highly sought after in oncology for the development of targeted therapies, such as monoclonal antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies, because their absolute specificity theoretically eliminates "on-target, off-tumor" toxicity. This category includes neoantigens resulting from somatic mutations, viral antigens in virus-induced cancers, and certain oncofetal antigens that are normally silenced in adult tissues but reactivated in tumors. While many specific molecules like Claudin 18.2, Glypican-3 (GPC3), and Claudin 6 are frequently described as novel tumor-specific surface antigens in current literature, the term itself is a general classification rather than a single molecular entity with a defined sequence or biological pathway.

Other names

Tumor-specific antigenTSANeoantigenTumor-specific surface proteinTumor-specific transplantation antigen (TSTA)

Targeted immune-mediated cytotoxicity (e.g., ADCC, CAR-T activation, or drug delivery via ADC)